AU501 - DAR3: Contact with all other civs

[Aeson]

I hadn't brought along many of my Med Inf, but with 12 Dromons able to bombard, and a Trebuchet, I was hoping the 6 MI and 2 LB I had would be enough to take Osaka. The Southern force had done it's job, and the Japanese forces were almost entirely South of the river when I landed.

My Dromons bombarded, and the Japanese had a Galley in the city. This triggered my GA. After the Galley was sunk, I was able to get the 5 Spears left down to 1 or 2 HP each, and another Archer down to 1 HP. In the assault I lost only 1 Med Inf, and was able to kill 1 of the 1 HP Spears and the 1 HP Archer with Elite Pikemen. Wanted as many shots at leaders as I could get, as War Weariness was getting too much (up to 40% Luxury rate, with 3 Luxuries), and taking a single city was all I could hope for.

The diversion to the S was enough so that I could get everyone into Osaka before the main counterattack arrived. I used my Dromons as artillery, and tried to keep the roaded Ivory intact. A great Leader showed up, and I made an army of Med Inf with it. Two turns later another Leader, which rushed the FP in Osaka. Then I made peace (was going to have to push the Luxury rate to 50%).

I didn't keep track, but I think I must have killed 60 Archers and 10 Spearmen. Just to take one city. The Japanese still had 30 units next to Osaka, about 50:50 Spears to Archers. That's a lot of units to support with all of 5 cities, one of which they no longer had!

[Aeson]

By this time I had made contact with everyone (or rather, the Mayans had sold my contact to everyone). I was at least 8 techs behind, but was the leader in the 'old world', even with Sumeria.

I had just finished researching Invention, and so bought Gunpowder from the French for 4 contacts, 342 gold, and 3 gpt. Then I bought Chemistry from the Dutch for 4 contacts, 110 gold, and 82 gpt. France didn't have Chemistry yet, which is why I 'sold my soul' for it. Trading Chemistry to France got me Theology and 272 gold. Theology and Gunpowder (haha, no Saltpeter anywhere near...thanks!) to Sumeria for Chivalry. I started research on Metallurgy, hoping to beat France to it. They still had Education, Music Theory, and Printing Press at least.

Sumeria really helped out by somehow aquiring Printing Press and Education in the same turn. They had no money and everyone on the new world had both, so I wonder how they got them? Anyways, I traded Chemistry for Education.

Still at 'war' with Russia, and they are pretty far behind in tech. They do have Saltpeter though, so eventually I think I will make peace and trade for one of their sources. In the meantime, the negative war weariness is too good to pass up.

The Mayans have grabbed just about every wonder, and I'm still at least 4 techs behind (PP, Astronomy, Banking, Economics), and probably more than that (Military Tradition, Democracy, Physics). I'm reasonably sure that I can't be anymore than 7 techs behind the leader, as Shakespeare, Magellan, and Newton's have yet to be started by anyone.

I have the most population of anyone, tied with Russia for 12% of the world population. Russia is the leader in land area too. Thankfully they are rather far behind, and should be easy targets (well, as easy as C3C Deity civs get) around the time of Infantry and Tanks. If I can get Saltpeter, the Sumerians and Hittites will be easy pickings in not too long as well. Just have to hit Sumeria before they can get to Nationalism. The Hittites are very backwards and only have one tech (that I gave to them) in the Middle Ages.

[Dominae]

Very cool of you to keep going after that Volcano fiasco. I like to think I would have done the same, but giving up would probably have won me over.

Let's see you win it!


Dominae

[ducki]

The sheer determination to keep "digging" that I see from the 'poly veterans here never ceases to amaze and impress me.

I'd like to think I'd keep digging too, and in a public game like this, I might, but I think my will might be broken and my play would become wreckless, looking for a KAI to put me out of my misery. This is so close to accidentally pressing 'E' instead of 'R' for a worker that I'd be tempted to reload and fix the fumble, as well.

Kudos to everyone that rolls with the punches and especially to Aeson in this case.

[Aeson]

I have to keep playing... if only to nuke the Volcano over and over again...

[Dominae]

Does a nuked Volcano turn into a Moutain, then Hills, then Plains?

[vmxa1]

Do we have another so very cold in the works?

[Dominae]

Not really...

[Aeson]

So very warm (of the Volcano)

This isn't a very hard map though. Nicely designed for the AI to stay competitive, and there are some difficult timeframes, but nothing terribly worrying. C3C Deity is more difficult in general than Civ/PtW Deity, but with such a nice starting location you have quite a bit of leeway on this map.

[Theseus]

I was hit with the Black Death in 650 BC in Dyrrachium, which later spread Chalcedon... not quite sure how that happened, as no units entered or left Dyracchium. Just road connections are dangerous then?

[Theseus]

I completed the Hanging Gardens in 610 BC. There was shortly a wave of GWs, with Artemis, Mausoleum (Kyoto, thank you very much!), and Great Library being built that turn and the next. The GLib would be a life-saver for Russia, who later turned out quite well.

Subsequent to a revolution and the beginning of Monarchy, I was at this point furiously building an attack force for Japan, using the new forces as MPs to facilitate max research in the interim. I landed my attack force on the mountain at Satsuma1 in 250 BC, consisting of 12 Horse and 4 Spear, delivered by... 12 Dromon. Time to go to TOWN on Toku's *ss! Dromon bombard just rocks... this is a unit to be dreaded. After the first bombards, I peeled off 4 Dromon to go exploring. The next turn a Japanese Curraugh attacks the stack, triggering my GA.

Overall, however, my initial attack on Japan was a lot more of a slog than I expected, even with Dromons to soften them up and only facing Archers and Spears. I burned up a chunk of my GA building extra forces for the attack. I decided to make lemons out of lemonnade (ice cream out of wasabi? ), and go GL hunting. This worked pretty well, with my first MGL generated in Osaka in 30 AD, and another in 230 AD, both turned into an Armies (I would hold them for Knights, however). This will of course mean no Arrian Deception, so I have to play nice and by the rules.

Also, luckily, planning now for a slow war in Japan, I decided to beeline for Gunpowder, and, ahem, started realizing the deviltry and brilliance of the game design.

While that was going on, I used my GA primarily as a builder, getting Temples, Markets, Libraries, Harbors, and Aqueducts built all over, but in between some additional Horse, Spears/Pikes, and Trebuchet to support the war in Japan. Also, with Constantinople producing 25spt, I make a run for Leonardo's... I usually avoid GWs in my capitol like the plague, but with some many soon to be available I'll take the chance.

Somewhere along here, I snag the goody hut to the south of the Hittites, and got something decent, but don;t remember what.

I finally meet Russia in 170 AD. Cathy didn't know JACK-ALL, but the GLib put her back in the game. I'm ahead of everybody by at least Gunpowder, and the only AI civ with any tech I don't have is Sumeria with Monotheism. Everyone (except Toku) is polite. I can't see any SP nearby, but I assume either Sumeria or the Hittites have it, so one of the two will be my next victim. I rank #1 in most of the stats, except land where I am 9.

Status:
16 towns with 87 pop
1 Settler (waiting for a Worker to clear the northern tip of the home continent)
11 Workers
12 Warriors
3 Spears
2 Pikes
2 Trebuchet
8 Horse
13 Dromon
1 Army

[Master Zen]

and I thought my 12 cities on the home continent was a lot...

[MrWhereItsAt]

What a pillock - I just realised I have contact with the Hittites - when the hell did that happen? Oh, that culture border my Curragh sank trying to reach, the one I thought was just Sumeria? That's them. Bloody helll....

I then go and generally tidy things up - add 10% lux so I convert that Entertainer into a useful worker, rejig some tiles so I am actually getting shiels where they are needed for military units and attempt to squeeze a few more trade out - what an idiot I was being! Am most ashamed of my first 2 DAR playtimes....

825BC A Second Dromon is completed - I reckon 2 Horses and 2 Swords will be enough to take a Japanese city, and then they will be enough to ferry reinforcements across the little channel. France builds the Temple of Artemis.

775BC My Curragh is lost in its suicide mission SE of my lands. But my Dromons are now ready, and land their 2 Swords and 2 Horses on the Ivory next to Osaka.

750BC A Japanese Warrior out of Osaka hurts my first Sword down to 1hp. When I finally get my turn I kill another warrior approaching to reinforce the city, then take the city itself on with my non-damaged Sword. Their Spear loses... but there is a second! My second Horse loses, but 4 more have just arrived, ready for next turn. Wishing I'd thought of this before, my Dromons bombard the city. The first one unexpectedly hurts not the Spear, but a Curragh I did not see before. The second, instead of hurting the Spear (which is less wounded than the Curragh), KILLS the Curragh and triggers my sodding GA!!!! That's it. I can't stand an unintentional GA, and after all the crap I have put myself through so far I decide this game is toast. Time to start a new game, and once I have cooled down a bit I will have another go at AU501.

[Aqualung71]

Originally posted by Master Zen
and I thought my 12 cities on the home continent was a lot...

I thought your 12 cities was a lot too....I had 9 for most of the game

[Master Zen]

Originally posted by Thriller


I thought your 12 cities was a lot too....I had 9 for most of the game

hey, I like tight spacing but Theseus apparently prefers the cities-groping-each-other feel